Discussions By Condition: Urinary conditions

Symptoms of UTI but no 'infection'

I had a couple of Urinary Tract Infections almost three years ago and took antibiotics to clear the infection but the last UTI was pretty bad and although the 'infection' has been cleared I still have the sensation of needing to pee all of the time. I had the UTI almost 3 years ago and not one since so why do I still have one of the symptoms? I have tried drinking 3 litres of water a day, cranberry tablets, teas, etc. but to do avail. I assume that it is partially in my head but during my period I feel almost 100% so there must be something else as well. If anyone can help, I would love some advice!

57 Replies:

10 years ago I had the same problem. I kept going to doctors but they said I had no infection. Then when I became pregnant the doctor tested me for everything and it turned out I had Chlamydia. I had only had one sexual partner.Never occured to me that I would have an std. Apperantly never to the Docs either because I would tell them my sexual past. I took the meds and was better. Of coarse I have had an UTI but tests would come back positive.

Hi,I had a couple of Urinary Tract Infections almost three years ago and took antibiotics to clear the infection but the last UTI was pretty bad and although the 'infection' has been cleared I still have the sensation of needing to pee all of the time. I had the UTI almost 3 years ago and not one since so why do I still have one of the symptoms? I have tried drinking 3 litres of water a day, cranberry tablets, teas, etc. but to do avail. I assume that it is partially in my head but during my period I feel almost 100% so there must be something else as well. If anyone can help, I would love some advice!Thanks :)I am having similiar problems but my urine cultures come back neagative. Been dealing with this 5 weeks, wanted to have a UTI to get an answer. Finally saw a urologist and realized a retained 100 ml of urine from the scan. I just had my period for the first time during this ordeal and I felt better those two days then in six weeks. Did you find out how your cycle can help UTI symptoms because I am stumped!

Hi, I had a couple of Urinary Tract Infections almost three years ago and took antibiotics to clear the infection but the last UTI was pretty bad and although the 'infection' has been cleared I still have the sensation of needing to pee all of the time. I had the UTI almost 3 years ago and not one since so why do I still have one of the symptoms? I have tried drinking 3 litres of water a day, cranberry tablets, teas, etc. but to do avail. I assume that it is partially in my head but during my period I feel almost 100% so there must be something else as well. If anyone can help, I would love some advice! Thanks :) You might want to think about relating your urge to pee to the 3 liters of water. When you have your period women tend to retain water and bloat, so that might be why you feel better as far as the urge to pee. If you're really concerned, try asking your doctor about kidney infections, they are similar in form to urinary tract or bladder infections. Hope this helps.

There is also a condition called interstitial cystitis that is quite common in woman i guess. It gives you all those symptoms and feelings of having a UTI without actually having one. It basically means you have a sensitive bladder. There are tests you can take to see if you have it, but even if you do there is still nothing they can really do for you.......

There are many treatments that can help Interstitial Cystitis. There is no cure, but there are a lot of things worth trying, and a medication called Elmiron. Definitely something to ask a urologist about. There is a specific diet you can try to see if your 'sensitive bladder' is affected by acidic foods and/or beverages, i.e. citrus, tomatoes, chocolate... the list is long. You can go to www.ic-network.com and look at the general symptoms and things you can try to see if anything helps. A lot of doctors don't know much about this disease and don't have much to offer. Finding a good doctor who keeps up on these things is important. Also, involuntary contracture of pelvic floor muscles (pelvic floor dysfunction) can induce the same symptoms - urgency, frequency, burning, etc. It can also cause a lot of other symptoms in the pelvic area. This is something you wouldn't even know was happening without getting checked out by a urogyn or physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapies. Or researching it to see if you have any of the many symptoms. Hope this helps.

hi, I have had UTI symptoms for the past 7 years, usually 4 to 6 times a year. I have been tested for many things and nothing came up, finally I was told it was "normal" to have UTI's up to 4 times a year. Everytime I have sex if I don't drink litters of watter I will get all the symptoms of an UTI. The pain drives me crazy, cannot work nor sleep, nor stand, nor sit, nothing. I am going to a GUM clynic next week to report my history...Starting to think it might me Interstitial or even chlamydia.

I went through the same exact thing. I finally figured out i have pelvic floor dysfunction or chronic pelvic pain. It can also be interstitial cystis. It can be relieved through pressure on trigger points. http://www.ic-network.com/iclifestyles/april02.html

I am going through the same thing again at current time!It first started when I was a child (between the ages of 4-10yo) I use to get UTI symptoms, mainly the burning after urination. My mother took me to one specialist after another, with no answers as to why. Many test later, and all the docs could say in that I have thinned area of the bladder. I use to call it "my problem" and sit on the toilet playing hand held games until the symptoms went away (I too found it difficult to do anything, but just stay on the toilet). "my problem" eventually gradually became less and less, until I was not having anymore episode...well, that only lasted until I became sexually in my late teens. Then it reared it's ugliness, during all 3 of my pregnancies (1 out 10 times it was actually a UTI)Anyway, it back again, 4 episodes lasting days to weeks, with negative cultures. All I can do is take OTC Pyridium (a.k.a Azo, Uristat), which ends up killing my kidneys. Of course the doctors still have NO answer...it's so frustrating. It's not like it's excruciating pain, but it is soooo bothersome, that I can not do anything (work, watch t.v., rest/sleep/walk, stand,sit, etc) except stay on the toilet or sit in a HOT bath until symptoms dissipate.So, yes I know what you are going through...and quite frankly it's the pits! I'd rather have Strep throat.~k

I have the same thing only when it gets bad, I actually have little bits of blood in the urine. The symptoms get really bad then let up some then come back. I also think it is making it difficult for me to have an orgasm, which has never happened before. I have had this for 8 months. I am looking into it being a problem with the Skene's gland, which is the female equivalent of the male prostate. If you figure out what it is, it'd be great if you would share back to the people that posted. At least it's validating to know I'm not the only one.

Wow its refreshing to know im not the only one out there with uncurable symptoms. Its been 9 months that I have been dealing with strange bladder symptoms. It started off by being uncomfortable to urinate. At first it was just a burning sensation WHEN I went pee and then it began to bother me just before, during and after, sometimes for up to an hour. I also now go pee 9-15 times a day, and occasionally get sharp pains. It was amazing to hear that you also dont feel pain when your on your period, I dont either!!! It almost always clears up 100%???? Ive been to my doctor about SEVEN times to figure this out. The 1st 2 times I went she tested me for every STD in the book and they all came back negative. Next she tested me for bladder infections, UTI's and yeast infections. I also later went for a pelvic ultrasound. They also came back negative, but for reasons I found odd she decided to treat me for a bladder infections because there was traces of blood in my urine. Ive went on stong antibiotics for 14 days, with no change, then she put me on a low dose for ANOTHER 30 days? Well to my delight....or not, the symptoms are still her. She wants me to take them for another 30 days, but i think ill get a second opinion first. Im a flight attendant and worked with a girl recently that said when she started flying she began to get the same symtoms as me (buringin when peeing, ect) and also got lots of tests done, all negative results. Her doctor finally concluded that she had an overactive bladder and he perscribed a medication to relax the bladder that she takes before bed. All of her symptoms cleared up. Im off to the clinic now to hopefully get some answers so when i DO, Ill be back. Good luck ladies!

I've been getting UTIS since i was about 11 years old when my parents could not even understand the painful symptoms i had. Recently this year i have suffered from 4 UTIS. My most recent one threw me for a spin though because i had all the usual symptoms and was 98 percent positive i had a UTI and so the doctor gave me the typical Bactrim antibiotics which i took for 2 days while they cultured my urine. The doctor called me and told me to stop taking the antibiotics because it was not a urinary tract infection. Wonderful, i know...yet now im sitting up in my bed at 2;30 in the morning taking uristate and drowning my body in water because well of course a UTI has struck me during the night. I cannot go to the doctor, i refuse... their just has to be another way to handle these spuratic infections i urinate everytime after sexual activity and i constantly take cranberry supplement pills oh and i also stopped drinking caffeine because apparently that aggitate the urinary tract. I have tried everything, I think i should just get use to staying up all night googling the crap out of UTI'S :mad:

I used to have problems with chronic UTI's - they are just horrible, and can make you so incredibly irritable!:mad: Diet played a huge part in mine - especially high fructose corn syrup. Stopping this one thing as much as possible helped me a lot. If you have chronic UTI's then you need to look at this - cut out all sugars, white flour products and processed foods. Parsley tea is helpful, as well as the homeopathic remedy Cantharis. Candida is also often a factor, and very hard to get rid of - Western docs know nothing about this, and Western antifungal meds just don't work and are hepatotoxic (liver toxic). Cranberry helps some people, but is too acidic for others. There are many natural candida cleanses out there - Threelac is one of the best in my opinion. You need to give yourself at least two months to cleanse from candida - Threelac is good because you don't need to go on the ultra restrictive candida diet (this diet is just too restrictive to follow successfully in my opinion). The very best thing that has helped me is acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Acupuncture and herbs can really help get your urinary system back in balance. Please look into this as an option it can really help. www.acufinder.com for more info. I used to have problems with urinary incontinence, but no longer thanks to acupuncture. Best wishesDOM

I can relate! For the past 2+ YEARS I have had a burning sensation in my lower urinary tract-- mainly near/in my urethra. It has gotten a LOT worse these past 6 months or so.I used to get a lot of UTIs as a kid, and I had a couple this year. But this long-term problem is different than an infection, because my tests come back negative for bacteria, etc. The ONLY thing I can do to make the pain go away (temporarily) is to drink lots of water, and within 45 minutes, the pain subsides while my bladder is filling up. When I went to the urologist and talked to him and even had an cystoscopy (which was extremely painful going in), my doctor told me there was no bacteria in my urine, everything looked fine, and that he had couldn't understand my symptoms. What really offended me is when he told me it might be psychological, possibly due to my history of depression. My pain is very, very real!When I feel the pain the most: When I haven't had water in a while, during sex (btw, It's not chlamydia), and usually in the evening it seems the worst.I am eager to hear more from everyone...what your symptoms are and what any relevant conditions you know of are.I am beyond stressed out about this... it is really affecting my quality of life! :(

Hello!For a year and three weeks now, I have had extreme urethritis. My urethra itself is very swollen and it feels like I have to pee super-bad, 24-hours a day. WHen I do urinate, the stream is crooked, and when I finish it feels like I have not gone to the bathroom for hours. I have been checked for infections, STDs, etc. and nothing has come up. I have white blood cells in my urine, and occasionally a tiny amount of blood. I have tried drinking lots of water, cranberry juice, Uva ursi pills (they made my side hurt and did not help the symptoms) and about 7 different antibiotics. I had a urethral dilation about two months ago, and while I now am getting more urine out (my stream almost just dripped before), the other symptoms are the same. I have been putting an ice pack on the area for a week or so, which helps for an hour or so, but that is it. This has cost me a ton of money in medical bills, lost work, and I am almost in tears most days. I have not been going out with friends or doing anything fun, as I feel so bad. It is getting to the point where I feel hopeless. Any ideas? Oh - I am not having sex now, but was before this all began...

i have had this problem going on 2 years straight. i get on average 2 UTI (bladder infections) a month. its horrible. i go to the gyno all the time, im now on my second urologist and its horrible. no one can fix me. i also have an extremely swollen lower abdomine that i mention to the doc all the time but no one addresses the problem. does this happen to anyone? anyone know why my abdominal is swollen?

Oh my god!!! I cant seem to get rid of this either.. Ive always had UTIs since I was little and now Im 22 and I STILL get them all the time.. Its funny that the girl above me said that she called it "my problem" because when I was little I started calling "the pee-pee problem" and everytime it hits I call my mom and tell my boyfriend I have the "pee-pee problem" again and I usually cry.... I actually had to stay home from work AGAIN. Im soooo very close to losing my job. Actually Im probably going to get fired for calling in today.. When I get a cold or if Im sick throwing up I go to work because I know that I will end up getting the symptoms of a UTI and have to call out of work then. When I go to the doctor the test always comes back negative. I just dont know what to do anymore. Im starting to get really depressed because I just want to be normal I just want to feel okay... The only thing that I can do is sit on the toliet for hours playing sudkou puzzles until the feeling goes away. My boyfriend gets mad at me saying that Im sick -all the time.. If its not a UTI what is it. And how can I get better so I can keep my job and pay my bills. If I get fired Im probaby going to have to move back home and that will make me even more depressed.. God, what can I do?

Hi. Im 13 years old. I have symptoms of uti's too. I have too pee all the time and when i have too pee its hard to come out. i have to force it out and its really hard. I went to the doctors and did a Cat scan, an xray and sonogram. They tried to put a catheter inside me but it hurt and i screamed and they stopped. So they might put a catheter inside me while im sleeping under anasthesia and fillup my baldder and drain it out. Occasionly when i pee it itches but not all the time. The problem is That i pee alot and that i have difficulty peeing. Does anyone have that? Also Do i need a pshycatrist because all the doctors said there was nothing wrong with me. i had this from June 13 2007. Pleasee helpp!!!!!

Hi. Im 13 years old. I have symptoms of uti's too. I have too pee all the time and when i have too pee its hard to come out. i have to force it out and its really hard. I went to the doctors and did a Cat scan, an xray and sonogram. They tried to put a catheter inside me but it hurt and i screamed and they stopped. So they might put a catheter inside me while im sleeping under anasthesia and fillup my baldder and drain it out. Occasionly when i pee it itches but not all the time. The problem is That i pee alot and that i have difficulty peeing. Does anyone have that? Also Do i need a pshycatrist because all the doctors said there was nothing wrong with me. i had this from June 13 2007. Pleasee helpp!!!!! Please look into candida and do a search on candida cleanses...most doc don't test for this, and Western treatment is not very helpful IMO. Please try a good candida cleanse and look at your diet and cut out all sugars, baked goods, white flour, and greasy/fried foods for at least a month and see if your symptoms improve. Also, get yourself a good quality PROBIOTIC and take this orally as well as inserting a capsule INTO your vagina. Please try this it can be incredibly helpful! I do not think you need a psychiatrist. Best wishesDOM